Well, here is the routine sequence:
1) you ask for the spectator ID card and place it yourself in an envelop, and leave it on the table
2) you place your ID card in an envelop
3) you ask the spectator to devine what is written on your ID (!!!!)
4) he divine nothing (wow!!!)
5) you devine what is on his ID card

Real mentalism is about what people think, feel, are... not what is written on a paper. You should pretend to have a sort of "connection", and for that, you need a "mind" to be connected with.

So, to be able to present this effect based on the usage of an ID card, you should have a perfect excuse to ask the spectator ID card and place it in an envelop, and then, forget about it for the rest of the routine!!!
There is absolutely no justification for this part in this routine!

And the part where you ask the spectator to guess your ID information and fail is sooooooo bad! If you do that, you should be able to make him guess correctly at least one little thing, otherwise you make him feel like a sucker.

Once again the trailer does not correctly depict the actual effect. The downloaded presentation does not conclude as shown in the instructions (no tearing of the envelopes). The most significant down side of this effect is the number of envelopes that are used. If you are going to do this at a table as shown in the presentation you can count on someone at some point in time ask why you had to utilize so many envelopes. I have been asked in a parlor setting and also in front of 43 people in a performance. The instructions and performance only state to put the unused envelopes aside as they are not needed. If not needed why have so many in your hand? There is no explanation. My only response is that I just grabbed a handful. It is just a very fishy portion of the effect and results in an unclean performance. The concept of the effect is great but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. Since it was only a $5.95 download the old maxim, " You get what you pay for" certainly is applicable.

If you've got a spectator and a pay envelope. It's time to blow your spectator's mind!

The spectator places their driver's license in a pay envelope, seals it, and keeps it in their possession. You then read the contents right in front of them! No peek devices! You read it in full view right in front of them and they have no idea.

Start clean, end clean!

Highly recommended!

It is a nice little magic trick but does not have much from a mentlist effect.

The handling is absolutely unnatural - just imagine how you would perform that effect if you really could do what you claim to. Would you really go into all fumbling and procedure just to tell your participant something he does already know?

All the handling is only due to the technique.

Unatural and boring.

Ok - when you see the UNCUT version of this trick, it becomes painfully obvious how it is done. There are even some pretty awkward moves that, for your audience to miss, they need to be very drunk. It's only $5 on the promo, so you get what you pay for. I was hoping for a clever new method, but got an awkward obvious method that I figured out when I saw the complete performance.

This trick will not work with the current version of New York licenses (although you may be able to change your grip to obfuscate the issues but that wouldn't be very clean). You can do this with bank cards and the like, but then you miss the whole point.

I also don't like the handling much. You have to fiddle with the envelopes in a suspicious way that has nothing to do with the method but does not look clean. For this effect to sell it has to really look clean. You probably could do it with your head turned or something like that during the suspicious part but that was never mentioned during the instructions.

Long story short, there are better ways to do this trick. Yes, they involve a minimal amount of arts and crafts but this trick isn't impromptu so I see no reason not to spend two minutes making a much better version of this trick.

I love this 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 this will only take one or 2 dry runs and the routine would be learned forever. This is organic and with no DIY skills necessary 100 % per cent will depend on your presentation & acting skills as this is as easy as mindreading could possibly get .

I enjoyed watching this trick and explanation. Alexander makes it easy with his casual and fun personality. This is an easy video to watch. So good start there, Alex!

As for the trick... just as good! I like that there are no gimmicks and no crazy suspicious moves. Alexander modernized Lee Earle's approach by using the spectator's ID and created a reasonably believable premise to allow for the little secret method to obtain the spectator's information.

When you see the demo, it does seem extremely magical. When you see the entire presentation, not as magical honestly. But still... very good! I figured out the method as I watched the full presentation for the first time, so I'd imagine that more experienced mentalists and magicians will also figure this out. But that's OK!!! I am not interested in magic to fool magicians. I am interested in magic to blow the minds of my spectators... and this one is sure to do that.

The fact that you DON'T have the spectator write anything down makes this trick feel more real. I don't know why such a little thing makes so much a difference to me... but this subtlety brings this trick up a notch for me.

If you've been doing mentalism for a while, then this trick is likely something you already do, so you don't need to purchase this. But otherwise, this is a foundation trick and a must for mentalists. Get it.

Is the trick easy to do? Yes. Do practice a couple times, but yes. Even a beginner will look like Derren Brown to the spectators (especially if you take your time and really put some presentation effort into your reveal).

Arts & Crafts? No. You'll need some small cash envelopes. Most magicians are likely to have these. If not, they're easy to find and cheap.

Can you do this surrounded? Any angle restrictions? This is NOT something you would do surrounded. So yes, there are some angle restrictions which will be obvious once you watch the explanation.

Do I have to be at a table? No. You can do this standing.

Is the price right? Yes, I'd say so. If you're new to mentalism, you'll find this a valuable, affordable lesson.

Is this fit for my repertoire? Yes. It's classic mind-reading (or however you want to present this) stuff. You'll perform this if you don't already. If you already perform a different method of the same trick, you just might replace it with this.

Are there any mercury folds? Please tell me no. Please. - Relax, no folds, no sleight of hand (just one simple move), nothing tricky. You can do it! (Adam Sandler reference)

How's the production value? Good! It's a simple video... no weird loud music or crazy After Effects graphics. You get what you pay for and you won't fall asleep in the middle of the explanation. Mr. Marsh is THAT GOOD! haha

I give this trick a very solid 4 stars. As far as I'm concerned, you should consider that the equivalent of a 5-star rating. I generally save the 5 stars for earth-shattering, mind-melting visual stuff... anything that makes that you have a real, literal unicorn illegally parked in a handicap spot outside.

By the way, I always try to be honest and straightforward in my reviews, while being respectful to the magician. If you appreciate my reviews, can you please click the "Yes" button below beside the question, "Did this review help you?" It's not like I actually benefit in any way by your clicking it... but it would be nice to see if my reviews are helpful or not. I hope they are. If you ever have suggestions or comments or questions about my reviews, please feel free to leave me a constructive comment. I'm just trying to be helpful. I love the Penguin community and hope that I can someday contribute my own product. :-) Thanks for reading and for any (hopefully positive, but either way, at least kind) feedback.

Don't buy this. I don't want you to have it. Don't worry about the method. It's super complicated, and you probably can't do it.

TLDR;This is only for me, not you.


Ok, back to reality. This is an AMAZING piece of mentalism by one of the true masters, Lee Earle. If you aren't familiar with Earle's work, you should be. Go purchase and study Syzygy before you do anything else.

This bit of genius comes from Syzygy, which seems to be making a bit of a comeback(for good reason). If you do close-up work of any form, this needs to go into your mental toolbox.

While the teaching is done extremely well, the method is so easy, you won't have any problems learning the details. It's all in the performance, which is something one can't purchase at any price.

I honestly can't think of anything to complain about with this download. And I'm great at nit-picking the little things.
Tje process should be higher, but other than that, there isn't anything wrong with this download, and I'd give it 10 stars.

While I love adding bits of mentalism to my show, this is just not for me. That's not to say it isn't any good, it's okay! The effect and or method just don't fit my style. Some times a trick and its method don't move or coalesce with the rhythm of ones personality. This is THAT trick for me. Sometimes you have to ask yourself if these moves are comfortable and or natural for YOU. If it isn't natural to you then it won't look natural in your performance. At which point it can't look very magical. To those who find this a natural fit, I'm sure it is a GEM!!! Just not for me.